1. Field of Invention
The technical scope of the invention is that of devices to neutralise a payload carried by a vector.
2. Description of Related Art
Payloads thus carried may be hazardous or toxic. It is thus necessary for them to be destroyed in the event of their vector having a mishap during its flight.
Thus, the satellites that are carried on-board ballistic rockets generally incorporate extremely toxic and explosive (hydrazine, nitrogen peroxide) liquid boosters. These boosters must at all costs be destroyed in the event of an incident so as to prevent a large quantity of these materials from falling to the ground.
In practical terms, the booster casings are destroyed so as to release the ergols. The latter are destroyed by mutual contact with one another as well as by contact with the atmosphere.
It is known to implement inside rockets powder cannons firing one or several piercing projectiles in the direction of the boosters.
Such a solution is costly, cumbersome and onerous.
It requires explosive projectiles to be produced that have safety systems and delay devices.
The weapon itself is, moreover, a complex mechanism subject to failure when the rocket is launched.
The reliability of such systems is thus reduced.
The implementation of shaped charges or explosive charges has been proposed to ensure the destruction of the boosters.
However, these charges must be positioned near to, or even in contact with, the boosters to be destroyed.
Thereafter, the problem of integration into the vector is posed. Moreover, shaped charge jets have reduced effectiveness against liquid ergol boosters. The jet is rapidly consumed by the liquid and the diameter of the evacuation holes made is reduced (around a few mm).
Lastly, the geometry of the payload (satellite) may strongly differ from one vector firing to another.
The boosters are thus not placed in the same places and the vector must be modified in depth to enable a new system of neutralisation to be installed.
An object of the invention is to present a neutralisation device that does not suffer from such drawbacks.
Thus, the neutralisation device according to the invention permits the simple and reliable destruction of a payload carried by a vector.
This device may be easily adapted to different types of payload, it thus enables the vector to be more simply adapted to the charge to be carried.
Thus, the invention relates to a neutralisation device for a payload carried by a vector, such as a rocket, wherein it incorporates at least one explosively-formed charge, such charge made integral with the vector by a positioning device ensuring the orientation of its direction of action towards the payload.
Advantageously, the positioning device may be adjustable so as to allow the neutralisation device to be adapted to different structures and/or locations of the payload.
The positioning device may be immobile.
The neutralisation device may incorporate at least two explosively-formed charges.
The explosively-formed charge or charges will preferably be of a calibre greater than 50 mm.
The neutralisation device according to the invention applies more particularly to the destruction of the booster or boosters of a satellite carried on board a rocket.